Mary Owen
,
Credentials
MD

Associate Dean of Native American Health
Assistant Professor
Biography

Bio

Dr. Owen is a member of the Auk Kwaan Tribe of the Tlingit people. She is the Associate Dean of Native American Health at the University of Minnesota Medical School. On graduation from the University of Minnesota Medical School and Family Practice Residency Program, she returned home to work for her tribal community in Juneau, Alaska. In 2014, after eleven years of full-scope family medicine, she returned to the University of Minnesota Medical School, Duluth as the Director of the Center of American Indian and Minority Health (CAIMH). Her work includes: developing regional and national programs to increase the numbers of American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) students entering medical careers, outreaching to local and national Native leaders to ensure that the University of Minnesota Medical School remains in tune with AIAN healthcare and education needs, teaching medical students and health care providers important components of providing healthcare to AIAN communities and developing research efforts to address AIAN health disparities. She continues to provide clinical care at the Center of American Indian Resources in Duluth and is the immediate Past-President of the Association of American Indian Physicians.

Academic Administrative Appointments

Associate Dean of Native American Health                                                                                           October 2022 - Present
Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Endowed Professorship of American Indian Health                                                                             July 2015 - Present
University of Minnesota
School of Medicine Duluth Campus
Duluth, Minnesota

Education

MD, University of Minnesota Medical School
BS, University of Oregon
Major: General Science
BA, Carroll College
Major: French and International Relations

Fellowships, Residencies, and Visiting Engagements

Residency in Family Medicine, Residency
North Memorial Family Practice

Licensures and Certifications

American Board of Family Medicine,
Alaska Medical License,
Minnesota Medical License,

Media Appearances

Docs On Call: Stroke and Other Neurological Conditions, WDSO TV/PBS 8
2021
Still killing us: The federal government underfunded health care for Indigenous people for centuries. Now they're dying of COVID-19, USA Today
2020
Doctors on Call: Rheumatological Diseases, Public Television
2020
Racism in Places of Healing, Native America Calling
2020
Center for Health Journalism's National Fellowship, USC Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism
2020
Advocating for Your Own Health, Native America Calling
2020
Health Care Providers and the Path of Healing During Times of Pain, Continued Racial Unrest, and Pandemic, Minnesota Native News
2020
COVID 19 and It's Impact on Minority Communities, National Minority Cardiovascular Alliance
2020
Communicating with Native American Patients, Native America Calling
2017
Docs On Call: Upper GI , WDSE TV/PBS 8
2016
Docs On Call: Cholesterol Problems, WDSE TV/PBS 8
2016
Docs on Call: Lower GI Problems, WDSE TV/PBS 8
2015
Tribal Health Research in the Bemidji Region, KQRS St. Paul
2015

Professional Memberships

Association of American Indian Physicians
Selected Publications

Selected Publications

Leader Charge, D. P., Owen, M. J., Subrahmanian, K. N., Tobey, M. L., Warne, D. K., 2019. Developing Graduate Medical Education Partnerships in American Indian/Alaska Native Communities. Journal of Graduate Medical Education, 11 (6): 624-628. United States:
PubMed ID: 31871558.
Sundberg, M. A. (Lead Author), Leader Charge, D. P., Owen, M. J., Subrahmanian, K. N., Tobey, M. L., Warne, D. K. (2019), Developing Graduate Medical Education Partnerships in American Indian/Alaska Native Communities. Journal of Graduate Medical Education, 11(6), 624-628. PMID: 31871558
Owen, M. J., Sundberg, M. A. (Corresponding Author), Dionne, J., Kosobuski, A. W. (2021), The Impact of COVID-19 on American Indian and Alaska Native Communities: A Call for Better Relational Models. American journal of public health, 111(5), 801-803. PMID: 33826370 PMCID: PMC8034007
doi: doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2021.306219
Vang, Z. (Lead Author), Chau, S., Kobayashi, K., Owen, M. J., McKenzie-Sampson, S., Mayrand-Thibert, J., Brass, G. (2021), Pain and Functional Limitations Among Midlife and Older Canadians: The Role of Discrimination, Race and Sense of Belonging. Journals of Gerontology
Owen, M. J. (Lead Author), Bouverette, C., Carbone, G., Neher, C., Pederson, E., Golden, M. (Corresponding Author) (2022), Weaving Pathways: Talking with our Elders. Rural and Remote Health, 22(1)
doi: doi: DOI:10.22605/RRH6845
Owen, M. J. (Lead Author), Conway, P., Hanson, J., McCarty, C., Golden, M. (Corresponding Author) (2022), Native Americans Into Medicine: A program focused on developing representation and diversity in healthcare. Journal of Regional Medical Campuses, 5(1)
Golden, M. (Lead Author), Conway, P., McCarty, C., Versnik Nowak, A., Hanson, J., Begay, D., Binette, M., Birdchief, L., Blaisdell, F., Carbone, G., Culver, S., Goodsky, T., Greensky, Z., Henry, J., Impson, Q., Littlesun, C., McGeshick, G., Nephew, D., Ru, Engaging Native American Students in Research Methodology Through Development and Validation of a Tobacco Survey. Journal of Regional Medical Campuses, 5(1)
Owen, M. J. (Corresponding Author), Tobey, M., Sundberg, M. (2023)., Graduate Medical Education Training and the Health of Indigenous Peoples. Journal of Graduate Medical Education. 15(1), 37-39. PMID: 36817523
Verduzco-Gutierrez, M. (Corresponding Author), Wescott, S., Hayes, A. A., Owen, M., Chatterjee, A. (2022), Lasting Solutions For Advancement of Women of Color. Academic Medicine, 97(11), 1587-1591
White, M., Prathibha, S., Praska, C., Ankeny, J., LaRocca, C., Owen, M. J., Rao, M., Tuttle, T., Marmor, S., Hui, J.(2023)., Disparities in post-mastectomy reconstruction use among American Indian and Alaska Native women. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
doi: https://doi.org/10.1097/PRS.0000000000010935
Selected Presentations

Selected Presentations

Owen, M. J., (Panelist) "Post-Election Policy Perspectives of Medical Society Leaders on the Future of Minority Health", AMA Minority Affairs Section Governing Council Annual Meeting, American Medical Association, November 08, 2020.
Owen, M. J. "Communicating Science in a World of Misinformation", Twin Ports Early Career Researchers Spring Symposium, Twin Ports Early Career Researchers, April 30, 2020.
Owen, M. J., (Presenter) "Center of American Indian and Minority Health: 40 Years of Recruiting and Training Future Native Physicians", Northern Ontario School of Medicine, April 20, 2018.
Owen, M. J., (Presenter) "Native American health", League of Women Voters Annual Meeting , Duluth Chapter League of Women Voters, March 24, 2018.
Owen, M. J., (Presenter) "Minnesota tribal health", University of Minnesota Medical School, Duluth campus, 1st year, Duluth, Minnesota, August 01, 2017.
Owen, M. J., (Presenter) "Native American Health", Minnesota Biomedical Librarians, April 01, 2017.
Owen, M. J., (Presenter) "American Indian and Alaska Native physician workforce deficits", Minnesota Tribal Health Directors, February 01, 2017.
Owen, M. J., (Presenter) "Effective practices for the recruitment, retention, and education of Native American medical students", Association of American Medical Colleges, October 01, 2015.
Owen, M. J., (Presenter) "Overview of Minnesota tribes", Medical School Orientation, University of Minnesota Medical School Duluth Campus, August 01, 2015.
Owen, M. J., (Facilitator) "Physical exam skills", Native Americans Into Medicine, University of Minnesota Medical School, Native Americans Into Medicine, Duluth, Minnesota, June 01, 2015.
Owen, M. J., (Presenter) "Native American health disparities, locally and regionally", Native Americans Into Medicine program and Center of American Indian and Minority Health Advisory Board, Duluth, Minnesota, June 01, 2015.
Owen, M. J., (Presenter) "Your journey", Medical School Native American Graduate Honoring Ceremony, Native American Medical School Graduate Honoring, Minneapolis, Minnesota, May 01, 2015.
Owen, M. J., (Presenter) "Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders in our Community", Sacred Journey Conference, Red Lake Reservation, Minnesota, April 01, 2015.
Owen, M. J., (Presenter) "The Path to Becoming a Physician", Preadmissions Workshop, University of Minnesota, Madison, Wisconsin, April 01, 2015.
Owen, M. J., (Presenter) "Securing Good Letters of Recommendation", Preadmissions Workshop, Madison, Wisconsin, April 01, 2015.
Owen, M. J., (Presenter) "Ten years in Tlingit country: My experiences working at my tribal clinic in southeast Alaska", University of Minnesota, Duluth Medical School, Duluth, Minnesota, December 01, 2014.
Owen, M. J., (Presenter) " Lyme Disease", Minnesota Indian Education Association Conference, Minnesota Indian Education Association, White Earth, Minnesota, September 01, 2014.
Owen, M. J., (Presenter) "Why don’t they get my jokes? How do we approach the communication gap?", Annual Conference of the Alaska Society of Radiological Technicians, Juneau, Alaska, April 01, 2007.
Grants and Patents

Grants and Patents

Selected Grants

Award: Promoting systems-level change to engage American Indians and Alaska Natives in the healthcare professions to serve Indigenous communities.
Principal Investigator: Norma I. Poll-Hunter, PhD; Mary J. Owen, MD
Sponsoring Organization: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Award Dates: 2023 - 2026
Award: Addressing Indigenous health disparities by recruiting future doctors from Indigenous communities
Principal Investigator: Owen, Mary J.
Sponsoring Organization: JOSIAH MACY JR FOUNDATION
Award Dates: 2022 - 2025
Award Dates: 2017 - 2018
Award Dates: 2016 - 2017
Award Dates: 2008 - 2015
Award: Proposal: Student Enrichment Project
Sponsoring Organization: NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH (NIH)
Award: Exemplary Leadership Award, "Group on Diversity & Inclusion (GDI)", Association of American Medical Colleges, October 19, 2021
Contact

Contact

Address

182 SMed
1035 University Drive
Duluth, MN 55812

Administrative Contact

Kyrsten Olson, olso7999@d.umn.edu